5 minute read

On the back of an article I wrote a couple of weeks ago about my obsession with polo-necks, a lovely reader asked me if I could advise on where she might buy some looser-fitting versions as she’s in the throes of perimenopause, and those tight-fitting, fine-knit options I swear by aren’t compatible with frequent hot flushes. My first thought was, oh dear God, how will I cope if my menopausal journey means I can no longer wear polo-necks?! That could be one side effect too many for me. But secondly, I wondered, could different clothes mean a better menopause?

It turns out there’s a whole industry dedicated to clothes that cater to women having night sweats and hot flashes.

My first instinct was scepticism because we live in a culture where companies are chomping at the bit to commercialise every ache, pain and insecurity experienced by a public better at spending money than time on problems – just look at how sleep has become a billion-dollar business over the past decade. Women, in particular, have always been victims of shark marketeers, whose skill it is to make us feel we need to be ‘fixed’ via something that can be bought quickly, but not cheaply, over the counter.

British brand Fifty One Apparel was founded in 2018 by women for women. Louise Nicholson and friend Barbara Warren, who have worked in retail, sales and textile marketing for more than 50 years between them, set out to deliver clothes that are “comfortable, stylish and helpful during hot flushes”. They’ve employed NASA-developed technology (sounds serious doesn't it), which apparently absorbs the heat released by the body during a hot flush or night sweat, then when the body begins to cool down, releases that heat, thereby regulating body temperature and preventing the kind of chills that are common after a dramatic temperature hike.

The website claims the clothes are suitable to be worn “for the gym, workplace, day out, a night away, loungewear or nightwear”. I would say yes and no. Fashion tech is not an area I’ve explored much because as someone who loves all the adornment, embellishment, colour, texture and interest that comes with fashion, performance wear of any description has never really interested me visually. This collection as you’d expect is made up of unadorned separates in a pared-back palette of black, navy, teal, peaches and cream; it’s another version of the endless WFH options we’ve been scrolling through for almost two years now. So yes, while these pieces can be worn anywhere, you might not want to wear them everywhere.

But if the technology really works – and the brand has several 50-plus women on its website modelling the clothes and eulogising the feel and function of the fabrics – then they could be worth investing in for layering underneath chunky sweaters and thin knits. Certainly, if my so-far brief experience of night sweats increases in frequency, I’ll be tempted to try their pyjama sets. Again, they’re not fancy or pretty or particularly chic, but if they feel good and perform, I’ll accept feeling cool in place of looking hot for now. Similarly, Become clothing’s Anti-Flush nightdresses are plain-looking throw-ons, but according to an article in The Guardian, sales of this piece jumped by 213% between the brand’s launch in 2016 and 2019, and it was the best-selling item on the website that year.

Become is a member of a UK initiative called GenM, which describes itself as “a first-of-its-kind movement to make menopause a more positive experience for everyone, and introduce forward-thinking brands, organisations and employers to this new, commercially attractive market in a responsible, ethical way”. Women in midlife and beyond have always been an attractive commercial market despite being ignored by fashion and beauty brands for decades, but according to The Brookings Institution, a US non-profit public policy organisation, the broader silver economy (defined as age 50 and over) will play an important role in the post Covid-19 economic recovery.

What brands like Become are attempting as part of this GenM drive is to take control of the narrative so that us midlifers and our seniors are marketed to in an honest and responsible fashion.

In other words, they’re going to help ensure that brands show us what we need to buy rather than what they want to sell.

Pleated skirt, €108; mock-croc knew-high boots, €237; both at styled by.ie

But before you spend €100 on another set of loungewear, albeit a menopause-friendly one, there are some day-to-day styling tricks that can help you keep cool when your internal temperature rises. Firstly, tights have no place in a menopausal woman’s wardrobe. I rely on midi skirts worn with knee-high boots, sans the suffocating Wolfords, for a look that appears seasonally appropriate, but offers great ventilation. Culottes offer the same fluid silhouette and airy feel when worn with an ankle boot or flat shoe. Cos has some absolutely gorgeous pairs of culottes that will work for the office as well as weekends.

Arket has a terrific selection of linen-mix tunic dresses. Just thinking of the breathable fabric and fluid shape combined makes me feel like my face is being gently fanned. I love this exquisite green version. The colour itself has a gorgeous freshness to it, and I feel it’s one I’d automatically reach for on days when I feel clammy and uncomfortable. Throw a knit or a blazer over it when your body temperature balances out. This is also the perfect piece to layer over a fine-knit polo-neck (they’re never far from my mind!). Just pop to the bathroom and whip it off if you start to swelter.

Layering is key of course, and it’s something I’m very good at doing, but not so great at undoing; by that I mean I love to create a layered look, but I don’t like dismantling it throughout the day, even if I become hot. I feel if I deconstruct my outfit by removing a single element, the whole look might collapse in a heap. But building on base layers and knowing you can remove as many as is appropriate when you need to will give you a sense of emotional calm. The fear of a hot flush when you’re not sartorially armed for it can be as uncomfortable as the experience itself. And if, like me, knitwear is the last thing you’ll let go of (I’ll risk spontaneous combustion before I pack away my beloved knits), then try swapping polo-necks for cowl-necks and sweaters for cardigans, which can be thrown on and off with greater ease.

Whether or not clothes can mean a better menopause, I don’t know, but they can certainly ensure a less clammy one.

Marie Kelly, November 2021